The Bossier banner., 1887-08-11
SWINE ON PASTURE.
Why They Should be Fed Coarse Food
Addition to Graas


Addition to Grass.
All feeders of swine ought to unl
stand that it is more profitable to Il
grain to the swine while they are [
pasture than later in the year, but d
do not appear to. The farmer 81
wearied with the expense of the IA
cold winter, and he reioices so much
the return of spring, that he sinI
turns his pigs to grass, and thinks
duty is done till cold weather cod
again. He forgets that every III
makes its growth in warm weather,
that animals can not grow ii d
weather. except by artificial ward
produced by warm quarters, fuel
food. The summer season is 50 ia9
able to growth that pigs will thrive
grass alone, but the growth win besH
compared to that of full fee
on grass and grain. The grass i /
food furnished by nature for Y
growth of animals, and will keep 4
pigs healthy; but the pig is adaptAI
concentrated food, and small rs3
in connection with the grass willes|
a very rapid gain in weight. onesi
this extra food given in summer
produce a better result than double
quantity fed in winter; and yet the 1
jority of all pig feeding is done ID \
weather. When the farmer beglnd
feed for fattening, he usually 4
up his pigs in quarters where they
no coarse or succulent food, and n
them with concentrated grain al
They will gain rapidly for q time
as the stomach is not adapted to 1
concentrated food alone. in 8
time they get cloyed, and gam I
slowly or not at all.
Now the true way to fatten piss|
any season of the year, is to give . 4
non of coarse food, such as turn
beets, carrots, potatoes, cooked clq
hay or grass, the last being the nat|
food of the pig, and in summer alH' |
at hand. While in cold weather
necessary to resort to roots, .whlchn1
required manual labor to grow, IN Y
mer the pig can get its own grass
only requires a moderate ALLOWANCE
grain to keep it growing rapidly
have it ready for the knife when q
ceases to grow. If we take all the
fattened in the United States IN y
and change the time of fattening !
cold to warm weather, one-hah ol|
grain now fed viii make all the p
This would be saving Of fooe|
least, to the amount Of s75,O0o,M|
year.
We once divided a litter OF eight J!
three months old in June, eacn
weighing $50 pounds, or 7o pa'
apiece, put them all upon clover pss''
| but fed one lot in addition to clogal
the first month, five pounds per atf
| corn meal and bran, half ana
| second month, eight pounds per
third month, ten pounds; fourth no'
twelve pounds per day, or l,OoV IN
in all. Each lot had all the grass
could eat, and were treated quite q
except the extra feed Of bran ana y
The lot on grass alone weighes
pounds, the lot on grass, bran a'N
| turned the scales at $50, or lvV ~
each more. This 100 pounds On
pig cost 262 pounds Of bran ana /
At this time the lot fed cxas
killed, and dressed TAO pouaas.
other lot were then put in pen ~,
| for one hundred days, consumer
pounds of corn meal and 900 poup.] i
bran, and weighed $40 pounds
they were killed, and dresssss
pounds, having slightly less QUE, ,.aas
the first lot; but it took 95o pour M
| extra meal and bran and one ~ sss'
days time to bring these iou ,,RsI Rs
| about the same weight OF tne -, II
And from this experiment v 81
grain fed in warm weather M's \,
as worth double that fed alone ,ai
weather. 1t is not to be supp 4
avery pig will be fattened = IA
weather, but the system q ~
should certainly be changed s.,s,s|
great bulk of pigs should oe In IN
warm weather instead OF se
| tional Ltus- Stock Joarnol